The Problem with Gender in Dance
A look at the limitations of gender portrayal in classical ballet
Ballet is typically recognized as an art form that goes hand-in-hand with tradition. One traditional aspect of ballet is the portrayal of male and female dancers in productions. It was not until around the eighteenth century that females began dancing ballet, despite the fact that males had been performing ballet since its origin in the 1500s. Throughout the Romantic era ballet evolved into the dance form that we recognize it as today; ballets were choreographed based upon classic fairy tales and female dancers were cast as princesses while men played heroic princes. After its creation in Europe, ballet came to America when Puritan influence was heavy; their conservative views and unwavering work ethic discouraged men from dancing ballet, which contributed to the feminization of ballet. Throughout the twentieth century in America, male dancers worked hard to gain acceptance from the masses through projecting masculinity in athletic movements. In the 1960s Americans became more amenable to men dancing for a profession, as it was discovered how physically strenuous dance is and how ballet training could be beneficial to athletes like football players. In classical ballets the male and female roles are very rigid and strictly binary, creating a sense of dualism, as a result of the fairy tales they were choreographed upon and the cultural norms of the time. Unfortunately, these roles fail to reflect modern beliefs about gender and restrict the types of movement that male and female dancers can each perform.
Classical ballets enforce uncompromising male and female binary gender norms, despite the spectrum of gender, which limits the way that male and female dancers are portrayed. Ashley Bouder, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, assessed the impact of these gender roles on women in her article “Ashley Bouder: It’s Time For Ballet to Embrace Feminism.” Ballet requires women to dance delicately on pointe, while men are obligated to perform many series of large jumps and fast turns. Classical choreography provides few opportunities for these roles to be reversed, and on the rare occasion that you do see this, it is for comedic effect. In addition to choreography, gender stereotypes influence the roles created for men and women. Bouder recalls her experience dancing Alexei Ratmansky’s Odessa as being particularly trying; she was required to perform what some critics labeled “a gang rape scene.” This is one such example of a role being created based upon gender stereotypes; in this case it is the stereotype of women being complacent and weak, and men being dominant and strong. Gender roles limit how dancers can express themselves both physically, through their dancing, and emotionally, through the character that they are playing. Bouder was playing a female who was being abused, representing a gender stereotype of women being weak. This stereotype is seen in almost every ballet; women always play young girls falling in love, and they are consistently portrayed as fragile and dictated by their love for a man. This enforces the idea that women are dependent, which is no longer supported by modern society. On the other hand, these ballets imply that men must always be strong and are never allowed to show emotion, which is also a harmful stereotype.
“sorry there is no such thing as equality in ballet: women dance on point, men lift and support women. women receive flowers, men escort women off stage. not the other way around (I know there are couple of exceptions). and I am very comfortable with that”
Despite the negative consequences associated with the propagation of gender stereotypes, not all choreographers feel the need to reform the depiction of the genders in dance. One such choreographer is Alexei Ratmansky; Ratmansky is a very talented classical ballet choreographer, currently working at the world-renowned American Ballet Theater. However, Ratmansky takes a controversial stance on the issue of gender in dance, which is captured in a 2017 Facebook post. Alongside a photoshopped image of a female dancer in a tutu lifting a male dancer, Ratmansky commented, “sorry there is no such thing as equality in ballet: women dance on point, men lift and support women. women receive flowers, men escort women off stage. not the other way around (I know there are couple of exceptions). and I am very comfortable with that.” Right off the bat, Ratmansky is making light of a serious problem by accompanying his contentious statement with a comedic image. Physiologically, there are differences between males and females that do contribute to the inequality in the choreography between the genders. For example, in most cases it would not be possible for a female to lift a male above her head and support him there. However, of all the examples Ratmansky listed in his comment, this is the only instance in which there actually is logic behind the gender roles. There is no reason that a male should not be able to dance on pointe, nor is there anything stopping a female from escorting a male off stage except for dated social norms. Modern society has abandoned the stereotypes that enforced the inequality that Ratmansky cites. Women are strong and independent, and men are comfortable embracing beauty; ballet, as a form of art, should reflect these more inclusive ideas instead of continuing to refute them. Ballet’s outdated gender roles continue to broadcast ideas about gender that modern society has left in the past.
The traditional gender roles of classical ballet also influence they type of dancing and movement patterns that male and female dancers each perform; due to lack of practice, this can begin to restrict the type of motions that males and females can create, making them less versatile dancers. Sean Dorsey, an established choreographer, expands on this issue in his interview with Megan Burbank. One example that Dorsey discusses is the use of port de bras, or arm movement, in ballet class. Typically, women are given one arm movement to practice while men are given a separate arm movement. The female port de bras is more stylized and graceful, while the male port de bras is quite minimalistic and more about functionality. By always doing one type of movement or the other, dancers are limiting the style of movement that they are able to perform, at least with relative ease. Dorsey complains, “I witness in the dance field that so many … men — will have a way that their gesture just loses some of its life force … because they’re not encouraged from their earliest training to have every sinew and muscle and cell in their wrists and fingers involved in the movement.” Without practice it is impossible to develop the muscle and control needed to perfect a movement, leaving a gap in dance training. Even if choreographers begin to create more gender-neutral pieces, it will be difficult for these works to succeed if male and female dancers continue to dance in gender-specific ways. Dance training needs to be reformed so that up-and-coming dancers can be better prepared and help prove to less modern-thinking choreographers that not all females have to dance one way and not all males have to dance another way.
“ I witness in the dance field that so many … men — will have a way that their gesture just loses some of its life force … because they’re not encouraged from their earliest training to have every sinew and muscle and cell in their wrists and fingers involved in the movement.”
Many professional dancers are beginning to take the initiative themselves to change the way that they, and those around them, go through ballet technique classes. Dancers at American Ballet Theater and New York City Ballet are questioning why their gender should influence how they dance and are working to change the stereotypical expectations surrounding male and female dancers. Many female dancers have begun taking men’s class, which focuses on improving jumps and turns. Female dancers reported that taking these classes made them feel free and unrestricted, as they were able to let go of the need to look graceful. On the other hand, many male dancers are looking to females for inspiration to improve the artistic value of their dancing along with their flexibility and the aesthetic of their lines. In the past male dancers were never pressured to achieve the same flexibility as female dancers, but American Ballet Theatre ballet master Keith Roberts is now pushing all of his dancers, regardless of gender, to strive for higher extensions. Not only have dancers begun to notice what they were missing out on in terms of technical ability, but also emotionally. Females felt unconfined taking men’s class, which lead to a discovery of a whole new way of dancing that they enjoy. On the other hand, men are finding value in refined movements and exploring the emotional depth of their roles. Dancers are beginning to reject the idea of their dancing being influenced by their gender, leading to the exploration of a whole side of dance that they were missing out on before.
The strictly binary roles that have been established in ballet no longer reflect society’s beliefs about gender and restrict the types of movement that male and female dancers can perform. While ballet is a traditional art form, that does not mean that there is no room for reform within it. Some choreographers, like Alexei Ratmansky, contest this idea, arguing that there are differences between men and women and the two simply cannot perform the same way. Yet, an increasing number of works are being created that dispute this idea. Classic pieces like Swan Lake will always be beautiful and magical, but ballet can be an art form with both traditional and modern aspects.
